The purpose of this proposal is to continue the study of normal and pathologic articular and epiphyseal cartilage by histological, histochemical, biochemical and metabolic techniques. For this granting period, special emphasis will be placed on elucidating and further defining: 1. the nature, rate and control mechanisms of nucleic acid and protein metabolism in normal cartilage. 2. the alterations observed in articular cartilage with aging, osteoarthritis trauma and under treatment with a variety of hormonal and nutritional agents. 3. the enzyme systems responsible for degradation of cartilage and their substrates. 4. the response of articular cartilage to allograft transplantation and determination of optimal means of cryopreservation. 5. the response of chondrocytes in tissue culture to a variety of metabolic and nutritional substrates. The ultimate aim of this proposal is to gather further information regarding pathogenesis of cartilage disease states and determining means of biochemical treatment.